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Hi Blog. Check out this article that appeared recently in The Japan Times, courtesy of the wire services:
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Princess Mako meets with Peruvian president, expresses gratitude for acceptance of Japanese immigrants
KYODO, JIJI JUL 12, 2019 (excerpt), courtesy of Andrew in Saitama
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/12/national/princess-mako-meets-peruvian-president-expresses-gratitude-acceptance-japanese-immigrants/
LIMA – Princess Mako paid a visit to Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Thursday in Lima during her trip to mark the 120th anniversary of the start of Japanese immigration to the South American country.
“I feel Japanese Peruvians are treated very well in Peru. I’m grateful that Peru accepted Japanese immigrants,” the 27-year-old princess, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, said during the meeting at the president’s office.
Vizcarra said he is glad that Japanese Peruvians are actively involved in various fields.
The president also showed his gratitude to Japan’s contribution to Peru in the areas of technological and economic cooperation and archaeology. […]
She later met at a hotel in Lima with representatives of Japanese people living in Peru and Japanese volunteers dispatched by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, thanking them for their efforts in the country. […] On Wednesday, she attended a ceremony marking the immigration anniversary and met with Peruvians of Japanese descent. She is scheduled to travel to Bolivia on Monday to mark the 120th anniversary of the start of Japanese immigration to that country, and return home on July 22.
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Full article at
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/12/national/princess-mako-meets-peruvian-president-expresses-gratitude-acceptance-japanese-immigrants/
As Debito.org Reader Andrew in Saitama recently commented:
“Team Japan celebrates its emigrants for their contributions (i.e. being Japanese) – essentially praising them for doing what it complains its immigrants do.”
But Reader JDG went even further:
“Notice they don’t talk about LDP members funding Peruvian government forced sterilization of ethnic minorities. That’s some Japanese contribution to Peruvian society!”
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Mass sterilisation scandal shocks Peru
BBC News, Wednesday, 24 July, 2002, courtesy of JDG
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2148793.stm
More than 200,000 people in rural Peru were pressured into being sterilised by the government of former President Alberto Fujimori, an official report has revealed.
The Health Minister, Fernando Carbone, said the government gave misleading information, offered food incentives and threatened to fine men and women if they had more children.
Poor indigenous people in rural areas were the main targets of the compulsive family planning programme until 2000, when Mr Fujimori left for Japan amid mounting corruption allegations against him.
Mr Carbone said there was evidence that Mr Fujimori and a number of high-ranking ministers could be held responsible for “incorrect procedures” and “human rights violations”.
He called for a deeper investigation and promised that action would be taken against those found responsible for the forced sterilisations.
‘Deceitful’ campaign
Figures show that between 1996 and 2000, surgeons carried out 215,227 sterilising operations on women and 16,547 male vasectomies.
This compared to 80,385 sterilisations and 2,795 vasectomies over the previous three years.
The result has been a demographical drop in certain areas, leaving an older population and the economic disadvantages which will result from fewer people able to earn a living.
The report, by the commission investigating “voluntary contraceptive surgery” activities, concluded that there had been numerous programmes during the Fujimori regime which threatened poor women in Peru.
The operations were promoted in a “deceitful” publicity campaign of leaflets, posters and radio advertisements promising “happiness and well-being,” the report said.
Investigations found that there was inadequate evaluation before surgery and little after-care.
The procedures were also found to have been negligent, with less than half being carried out with a proper anaesthetist.
The commission’s report said the inadequate family planning policy had a psychological and moral impact and harmed the dignity and physical integrity of men as well as women.
Threats
Five hundred and seven people, from rural areas such as Cuzco and Ancash, gave testimonies to the commission.
Only 10% of these admitted having voluntarily agreed to the sterilisation procedure after promises of economic and health incentives such as food, operations and medicines.
Others said that if they refused they were told they would have to pay a fine and would not be able to seek medical help for their children.
The report added that most of the women interviewed said they were scared of talking because of threats made against anyone who spoke out.
The programme was found to have been designed, encouraged and monitored at the highest levels in Fujimori’s government, including the president’s office.
The number of operations, and pressure from government, started to fall after increasing concerns from human rights organisations within Peru and the international community.
ENDS
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COMMENT FROM DEBITO: Now, before anyone writes in and says, “You’re being racist. Alberto Fujimori didn’t do this BECAUSE he is Japanese. He just happened to be of Japanese descent.” (And self-claimed citizenship.) While doing monstrous things.
However, remember that Fujimori WAS being funded by the right-wing Nippon Foundation (founded by war criminal Sasakawa Ryouichi), especially when it was being headed by self-proclaimed South African Apartheid supporter (and apparently personal friend of Fujimori’s) Sono Ayako.
Meaning Fujimori, with the help of Japanese eugenicists, was cleansing Peru’s countryside of Peruvian indigenous peoples without proper medical procedure or oversight.
We’ve covered Sono Ayako’s ideological hijinks and Alberto Fujimori’s international criminal activity (which is why he is in prison now) on Debito.org before. What’s missing from this celebration of Japanese history in South America, as JDG notes, is Japan’s hand in modern human rights atrocities overseas. Thanks to Debito.org Readers for keeping this information alive. Debito Arudou Ph.D.
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9 comments on “Kyodo: Japan celebrates its South American Japanese diaspora. Praising them for doing what it complains NJ immigrants to Japan do. (Like take Nippon Foundation money to sterilize Peruvian indigenous peoples?)”
Fujimori-the elephant in that room-did far worse; he authorized death squads. Here is more recent news, got to keep it in the media, or people forget. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/fujimori-court-ruling-1992-killings-1.4542618
Fujimori did far worse, yes. But any normal person would argue that he was Peruvian.
It’s a world of difference from Princess Mako standing there in a kimono with a coy little smile and talking about ‘Japanese contributions to Peru’ whilst either;
A) knowing that powerful people in her country funded ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Peru whilst keeping the Japanese public ignorant of this fact. Or…
B) she herself is so ill informed that she is ignorant of this fact.
Either way, Japan sending a ‘cute’ young royal out to effectively deny ethnic cleansing by presenting a narrative that omits it is stomach churning fascism.
I would go with
C) The imperial family and to some extent, J-public know who Fujimori is and what is going on in Peru but don’t see a problem with it or care and with bored stoic indifference. Also For a country that is so obsessed with race, class and rank, many Japanese probably don’t see why eugenics is considered a bad thing.
I mean who can forget the 3 times voted former mayor of Tokyo, Ishihara Shintaro who said NJ have “criminal genes” and nobody bat an eye but continued to vote for him? Or when ultra-nationalists preach genocide on the streets and nobody cares?
If Fujimori thinks poor Peruvians where poor because of their genes and begin sterilizing them, I am of the opinion that many Japanese would probably see no problem with it. So the J-public probably thinks this is a “good” contribution to Peru because they think Fujimori is doing good by getting rid of the “bad” genes.
All these years of human rights activism since the founding of this blog has changed very little of any of the Japanese psyche. Given Japan’s history of human rights abuses already, Another human rights abuse scandal or two isn’t gonna generate much reaction from the J-public as long as western countries aren’t complaining too loudly or if no one mentions it during a UN conference meeting.
Jim Di Griz says:
“Either way, Japan sending a ‘cute’ young royal out to effectively deny ethnic cleansing”
Perhaps Operation COOL JAPAN is now in full throttle now, using the fun fun appearance to trick the NJ populace into thinking Japan is all cool and fun. Places with a bad rap will be given a “Cool Japan!” makeover to clean up Japan’s PR and make people look the other way. Maybe next time, Princess Mako’s visits will be accompanied by people fully dressed in Hello Kitty costumes giving prizes and take Operation Cool Japan to another level.
Then maybe:
D) The royals and the public not only knows what Fujimori is doing but are either indifferent or are somewhat supportive of what Fujimori is doing. Then Princess Mako will visit Myanmar next and preach the “nice things” the Japanese government has contributed to Myanmar. Perhaps even followed by a home visit to Fukushima and praising the “good things” that Japan Inc. has done for foreign “interns” who where tricked into doing the clean-up job.
Yes. Exactly this.
It kind of takes the shine off her, doesn’t it.
And if this is what the IHA has got royals doing, and there are going along with it, maybe they haven’t moved on from WWII as much as people keep telling us (all those Emperor defies Japan’s right wing/conservatives stories).
C. exactly. NJs, Japan is cool and fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2714T_k2B1U
though this had sinister motives (in South Park).
So if it’s not Princess Mako visiting Peru where LDP members, Abe advisors, and Japan right wing elite funded ethnic cleansing, its Foreign Minister Kono Taro visiting Myanmar to see the victims of the Japanese Self Defense Force trained Myanmar Army’s ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people;
https://japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/kono-visits-rohingya-refugees
And now the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne goes on holiday to Bhutan;
https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan's-12-year-old-prince-starts-1st-overseas-trip-in-bhutan
Presumably to see how they got on with their ethnic cleansing over there;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_cleansing_in_Bhutan
I get it that people loved the former Emperor Heisei and thought that he represented an ‘anti-right wing revisionist’ force, but frankly as long as Japan has royals, it seems they will be captive puppets to the fantasies of the worst kind of right wingers.
Seriously, visiting countries that carried out ethnic cleansing! What does that say about their string pullers secret designs for Japan?
And again.
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20191001-00000354-nnn-soci&fbclid=IwAR2AbzE-Ab76RPYZj8UUiBrjqxta3NrFpi0T2qyRh3nFzH10h_NkrvDL7Fg
What is this almost sick obsession with celebrating Japaneseness? Plus, while praising the contribution of Japanese emigrants but NEVER mentioning the contributions of Japan’s immigrants… but wait – Japan doesn’t have immigrants, only foreigners.
Yeah, absolutely.
I just posted a list of ‘Japanese’ rugby players on the World Cup team who are Japanese according to World Cup eligibility rules, but not Japanese by Japanese social standards;
https://www.debito.org/?p=15727#comment-1754818
Haven’t seen ANY of these guys interviewed by Japanese TV about the Brave Blossoms giant killing game against Ireland.
The myth of homogeneity ‘must’ be preserved, I guess. Japanese insecurity about ‘Japanese Identity’ demands it, I suppose. Whilst at the same time, that insecurity demands that all NJ be seen as ‘temporary visitors’ (why did you come to Japan? When will you go back?), and also glorify/elevate Japanese who have gone abroad as ‘fighting the good fight’ to wave the flag abroad, educate the NJ and raise Japan’s overseas profile (whilst conveniently ignoring that fact that many Japanese go overseas to escape Japan’s restrictive, oppressive and suffocating social norms of gender discrimination, bullying and opposition to change. I’d guess?
One of the things about ‘Japanese Identity’ that always shocks me the most is how many Japanese people say that seeing NJ or hearing NJ talk their native language makes them feel not only that they ‘are not in Japan’ but that they themselves are somehow ‘less Japanese’ because of it.
It’s an unbelievably fragile identity.
And as such, the degree to which individual Japanese and Japanese society as a whole feels it has the right to poke into people’s lifestyles and lifestyle choices and dictate how they should live.
Their image of who they are can’t tolerate that other Japanese might not live the same lives the same way. IMHO.
A nation of 120 million beats a much smaller nation in rugby on their own ground. Wow. Hardly giant killing, more like catching up. Still, it plays to the jingoistic narrative. A housewife with 5 children messaged me out of the blue to say how strong Japan is at Rugby. I can see a revanchist mindset there, but refrained from making a Saving Private Ryan reference to a possible future path a deluded nationalist Japan will hopefully not take.
Conclusion: don’t overestimate your own strength. It didn’t work out well last time. And don’t be drawn into being nationalist/socialist just because China is doing it.